Natural oriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growth and method of preparing the same

ABSTRACT

A natural oriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growth is provided. The oriental medicinal composition includes a black bean extract, a tangerine extract, a potato extract, a pine needle extract and a quartzite powder. Since the oriental medicinal composition includes crude drugs extracted from natural substances that can prevent hair loss, it is effective for hair growth and has ensured biostability. Particularly, the oriental medicinal composition allows newborn hair to grow in the form of stiff hair.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 121 of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/689,349, filed on Mar. 21, 2007, the disclosureof which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

The foregoing applications, and all documents cited therein or duringtheir prosecution (“appln cited documents”) and all documents cited orreferenced in the appln cited documents, and all documents cited orreferenced herein (“herein cited documents”), and all documents cited orreferenced in herein cited documents, together with any manufacturer'sinstructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product sheetsfor any products mentioned herein or in any document incorporated byreference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and maybe employed in the practice of the invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a natural oriental medicinalcomposition for the promotion of hair growth, and more specifically to anatural oriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growthwhich comprises extracts and powders from particular kinds of plants andminerals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous hypotheses have been proposed regarding causes of alopecia andhair loss. These hypotheses include, for example, dysfunction of malehormones secreted from hair roots and organs (e.g., sebaceous glands),reduction in the amount of blood flowing into hair follicles, excessivesebum secretion, formation of peroxides, abnormality of the state of thescalp due to the proliferation of bacteria, hereditary factors, andaging. However, despite the gradual increase in the number of people whosuffer from hair loss and the decrease in the age of alopecia patients,the precise mechanism of hair loss still remains unknown.

Normally, humans have more than 1.3 million hairs in the body and morethan 100,000 hairs on the head. Each hair undergoes different stages ofa growth cycle consisting of anagen, catagen and telogen phases. “Hairloss” refers to the state in which, due to certain causes, the number ofhairs is zero or significantly low when compared to the normal state.Hair loss can be categorized into telogen effluvium and anageneffluvium; the former is a general phenomenon wherein hairs fall off inthe telogen phase, while the latter is an abnormal hair loss phenomenongenerally referred to as alopecia. Alopecia relates to a state in whichthe telogen phase is relatively long and the anagen phase is relativelyshort. When the telogen phase is lengthened, the revitalization of hairis difficult.

No effective treatment for alopecia is known. Traditional treatmentsinclude the use of proper tools (e.g., brushes) to apply physicalstimuli to the head, or therapeutic compounds to remove or attenuate theabove-mentioned causes of alopecia. For instance, based on thehypothesis that hormones are associated with the treatment of alopecia,preparations comprising female hormones as active ingredients have beendeveloped. However, these hormone preparations were reported to beineffective for alopecia and to cause skin inflammation and other sideeffects due to the administration of hormones. The use of the hormonepreparations is currently not allowed.

In recent years, minoxidil, which is commercially available from UpjohnCompany, U.S.A. and preparations (Crinos, Co., Italy) comprisingtrichosaccharide as an active ingredient have been introduced into themarket. However, these preparations have shown no distinct effect onhair loss and caused side effects in terms of the stability in the humanbody.

Most hair restorers developed hitherto use chemical substances andtemporarily promote the circulation of blood to expand capillaryvessels, thus stimulating hair roots. Accordingly, conventional hairrestorers provide temporary relief for hair loss and are only effectivefor hair loss induced by excessively secreted sebum.

In addition, various methods have been developed to prevent or treathair loss by revitalizing hair follicles or controlling the mechanism ofantioxidants. The revitalization of hair follicles is achieved byactivating hair follicles by immune enhancement to supply saccharides asnutrients to the hair follicles. According to these methods, however,newborn hair does not have an original form, but is temporarily formedby cell division and stimuli, resulting in shortened life of the hair.

Considering that over $3.5 billion is spent in the United States aloneon treatments of hair loss, research on developing a solution to theaforementioned problems continues. Although many hair restorers havebeen proposed to prevent and treat hair loss, no hair restorer has yetto succeed in overcoming these problems.

Citation or identification of any document in this application is not anadmission that such document is available as prior art to the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was developed in view of the problems of the priorart. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a naturaloriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growth whichcomprises crude drugs extracted from natural substances. Thesesubstances can prevent hair loss, are effective for hair growth and haveensured biostability. It is a further objective of the present inventionto provide a method for preparing the oriental medicinal composition.

To solve the problems of the prior art, the present inventors haveearnestly and intensively conducted research using an oriental medicalapproach to develop a natural oriental medicinal composition for thepromotion of hair growth using natural substances that are biologicallysafe, can prevent hair loss, and can enhance hair growth. In addition,the present inventors have conducted research to develop a technique forstrengthening hair at the initial stage of hair formation to extend theanagen phase so that the life of hair is prolonged.

As a result, the present inventors have found that when a compositioncomprising quartzite was applied, newborn hair grows in the form ofstiff hair. The present invention has been achieved based on thisfinding.

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to providea natural oriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hairgrowth which comprises quartzite, and to provide a method for preparingthis oriental medicinal composition.

That is, it is one objective of the present invention to provide anatural oriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growthwhich uses purified oriental medicinal materials and grains to removefats excessively secreted in response to invasion of pathogenic wind,thereby inhibiting the activity of harmful bacteria; to sufficientlyenhance the circulation of blood, thereby ensuring the supply ofnutrients to hair roots and activating the formation of cells; and toprovide a method for preparing this oriental medicinal composition.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a naturaloriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growth that issuitable for the treatment of hair loss caused by the lack of nutrients,which is observed when the flow of vital energy is weakened. In thisobjective, vitamins, a high level of proteins (i.e. amino acids), andhematopoietic elements that are indispensable for the revitalization ofhair, are supplied to enhance the flow of vital energy. Further, anobjective is to provide a method for preparing this oriental medicinalcomposition.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a naturaloriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growth thatallows newborn hair to grow in an original form through the control ofhormone secretion, prevents hair loss, improves the elasticity ofexisting hair, and strengthens revitalized hair roots; it is also anobjective to provide a method for preparing this oriental medicinalcomposition.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a naturaloriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hair growth thatprevents hair loss induced due to specific physical constitution andhereditary factors, and that effectively revitalizes the hair ofpatients suffering from alopecia areata due to scalp inflammation,stress, and other various diseases. The prevention of hair loss is basedon an oriental medical principle of hair revitalization; that is, a hairrevitalization mechanism due to improvement of blood circulation,enhancement of hair roots, control of hormones, activation of cells, andhigh levels of nutrients. It is an objective to provide a method forpreparing this oriental medicinal composition.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention for achieving theabove objectives, there is provided a natural oriental medicinalcomposition for the promotion of hair growth (hereinafter, referred tosimply as an “oriental medicinal composition”) which may comprise ablack bean extract, a tangerine extract, a potato extract, a pine needleextract and a quartzite powder.

Thus, the oriental medicinal composition of the present invention maycomprise about 100 parts by weight of the quartzite, about 20 to about200 parts by weight of the black bean extract, about 20 to about 200parts by weight of the tangerine extract, about 20 to about 200 parts byweight of the potato extract, and about 20 to about 200 parts by weightof the pine needle extract.

The oriental medicinal composition of the present invention may alsocomprise an onion extract, a ginkgo nut extract, a Fructus schizandrae(the dried ripe fruit of Schisandra chinensis) extract, a Fructus lycii(the dried ripe fruit of Lycium barbarum) extract, an oyster mushroom(Pleurotus ostreatus) extract, and/or a barley extract.

Therefore, the oriental medicinal composition of the present inventionmay also comprise about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the onionextract, about 30 to about 200 parts by weight of the ginkgo nutextract, about 30 to about 200 parts by weight of the Fructusschizandrae extract, about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of theFructus lycii extract, about 30 to about 200 parts by weight of theoyster mushroom extract, and/or about 20 to about 200 parts by weight ofthe barley extract, based on about 100 parts by weight of the quartzite.

The oriental medicinal composition of the present invention may furthercomprise a taro extract, a Fructus rubi (the dried fruit of Rubuschingii) extract, a jade powder, a wild ginseng extract, and/or a loesspowder.

As such, the oriental medicinal composition of the present invention mayfurther comprise about 10 to about 150 parts by weight of the taroextract, about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the Fructus rubiextract, about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the jade powder, about50 to about 250 parts by weight of the wild ginseng extract, and/orabout 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the loess powder, based onabout 100 parts by weight of the quartzite.

The oriental medicinal composition of the present invention may furthercomprise about 1 to about 10 parts by weight of a gold powder, based onabout 100 parts by weight of the quartzite.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method for preparing an oriental medicinal composition,wherein the method can comprise the steps of preparing crude drugs,mixing the crude drugs, and reconcentrating the mixture by heating.

The step of preparing crude drugs can comprise the sub-steps of: heatingselected plants at about 90 to about 130.degree. C. for about 8 to about15 hours and filtering the heated plants to obtain respective extractsfrom the plants; heating the extracts at about 50 to about 80.degree. C.for about 12 to about 48 hours to obtain respective concentrates; anddrying the concentrates and pulverizing to obtain respective powders.

The reconcentration step can be performed by mixing about 50 to about250 parts by weight of the mixture of the crude drugs with about 100parts by weight of water and heating the resulting mixture at about 80to about 140.degree. C. for about 12 to about 48 hours.

The crude drugs can be obtained from black beans, tangerines, potatoes,pine needles and quartzite.

Alternatively, the crude drugs can also be obtained from black beans,tangerines, potatoes, pine needles, quartzite, onions, ginkgo nuts,Fructus schizandrae, Fructus lycii, oyster mushrooms and barley.

Further, the crude drugs can be obtained from black beans, tangerines,potatoes, pine needles, quartzite, onions, ginkgo nuts, Fructusschizandrae, Fructus lycii, oyster mushrooms, barley, taro, Fructusrubi, jade, wild ginseng and loess.

The term “crude drug” as used herein refers to an ingredient that isbeneficial to humans. The crude drug can be prepared from a naturallyoccurring material either without any processing or through processingsuch as drying, cutting, heating, extracting or pulverizing. Dependingon the origin (e.g., a plant, mineral or animal) of the naturallyoccurring material, the crude drug can be classified into a plant,mineral or animal crude drug. In this context, crude drug can also referto the plant extracts or mineral powder discussed in the presentinvention.

The term “oriental” as used herein describes Eastern principles orphilosophies as applied to medicine. The term can also be used toindicate “organic” or “natural” or “homeopathic” or to relate tonutrition. Thus, the oriental composition of the present invention canbe an organic composition or a natural composition or a homeopathiccomposition. It is also contemplated that the term “oriental” indicatesthat the components of the composition are readily available in nature.

Finally, it is an objective of the invention to not encompass within theinvention any previously known product, process of making the product,or method of using the product such that Applicants reserve the rightand hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously known product,process, or method. It is further noted that the invention does notintend to encompass within the scope of the invention any product,process, or making of the product or method of using the product, whichdoes not meet the written description and enablement requirements of theUSPTO (35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph) or the EPO (Article 833 of theEPC), such that Applicants reserve the right and hereby disclose adisclaimer of any previously described product, process of making theproduct, or method of using the product.

It is noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the claimsand/or paragraphs, terms such as “comprises”, “comprised”, “comprising”and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in U.S. Patent law;e.g., they can mean “includes”, “included”, “including”, and the like;and that terms such as “consisting essentially of” and “consistsessentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law,e.g., they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but excludeelements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novelcharacteristic of the invention.

These and other embodiments are disclosed or are obvious from andencompassed by, the following Detailed Description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a method for preparing an orientalmedicinal composition, the method comprising the steps of preparingcrude drugs, mixing the crude drugs, and reconcentrating the mixture byheating.

The oriental medicinal composition of the present invention is achievedbased on an oriental medical principle of hair revitalization, that is,improvement of blood circulation, enhancement of hair roots, control ofhormones, activation of cells, and high levels of nutrients. Taking intoconsideration the circulation of blood by the action of light energy,the enzymatic metabolism of carbohydrates, the ability to form cells andthe ability to inhibit the formation of active oxygen, it is preferredthat the crude drugs contain ingredients capable of supplying vitamins,amino acids, and hematopoietic elements essential for the revitalizationof hair, and that can improve the flow of blood by the action of lightenergy.

The crude drugs are preferably a black bean extract, a tangerineextract, a potato extract, a pine needle extract, and quartzite.

The crude drugs are more preferably a black bean extract, a tangerineextract, a potato extract, a pine needle extract, and quartzite, andfurther an onion extract, a ginkgo nut extract, a Fructus schizandraeextract, a Fructus lycii extract, an oyster mushroom extract, and/or abarley extract. The crude drugs are even more preferably a black beanextract, a tangerine extract, a potato extract, a pine needle extract,quartzite, an onion extract, a ginkgo nut extract, a Fructus schizandraeextract, a Fructus lycii extract, an oyster mushroom extract, and abarley extract, and further a taro extract, a Fructus rubi extract, ajade powder, a wild ginseng extract, and/or loess. The crude drugs canalso include gold powder.

The crude drugs effectively induce the promotion of hair growth. Thestep of preparing the crude drugs includes the sub-steps of: heating theselected plants at about 90 to about 130.degree. C. for about 8 to about15 hours and filtering the heated plants to obtain extracts from theplants; heating the extracts at about 50 to about 80.degree. C. forabout 12 to about 48 hours to obtain concentrates; and drying theconcentrates and pulverizing to obtain respective nanometer-sizedpowders. The nanometer-sized powders of the respective crude drugs arehighly soluble without any precipitation in the subsequent mixing andreconcentration steps.

The oriental medicinal composition of the present invention preferablycomprises about 100 parts by weight of the quartzite, about 20 to about200 parts by weight of the black bean extract, about 20 to about 200parts by weight of the tangerine extract, about 20 to about 200 parts byweight of the potato extract, and about 20 to about 200 parts by weightof the pine needle extract. More preferably, the oriental medicinalcomposition of the present invention further comprises about 50 to about250 parts by weight of the onion extract, about 30 to about 200 parts byweight of the ginkgo nut extract, about 30 to about 200 parts by weightof the Fructus schizandrae extract, about 50 to about 250 parts byweight of the Fructus lycii extract, about 30 to about 200 parts byweight of the oyster mushroom extract, and/or about 20 to about 200parts by weight of the barley extract, based on about 100 parts byweight of the quartzite. Even more preferably, the oriental medicinalcomposition of the present invention further comprises about 10 to about150 parts by weight of the taro extract, about 50 to about 250 parts byweight of the Fructus rubi extract, about 50 to about 250 parts byweight of the jade powder, about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of thewild ginseng extract, and/or about 50 to about 250 parts by weight ofthe loess, based on about 100 parts by weight of the quartzite. Finally,the oriental medicinal composition can further be comprised of about 1to about 10 parts by weight of a gold powder, based on about 100 partsby weight of the quartzite.

The contents of the respective crude drugs were determined throughrepeated experiments while taking into consideration the optimumeffects, e.g., a hair tonic comprising the oriental medicinalcomposition of the present invention is used to allow newborn hair tohave the same thickness as the original hair (stiff hair) of the user,and from the viewpoint of economic efficiency, i.e. minimized productioncosts. If the crude drugs are mixed in amounts of less than therespective contents defined above, the thickness of the revitalized hairis as small as that of fluff and the number of hairs lost decreases.

The reconcentration step is performed by mixing about 50 to about 250parts by weight of the mixture of the crude drugs with about 100 partsby weight of water, and heating the resulting mixture at about 80 toabout 140.degree. C. for about 12 to about 48 hours.

The respective crude materials used to prepare the oriental medicinalcomposition of the present invention are well known in the art.Particularly, onions, black beans, oyster mushrooms, barley, ginkgonuts, Fructus schizandrae, potatoes, Fructus lycii, wild ginseng, taro,pine needles, tangerines and Fructus rubi are commercially available asnatural foods. These crude materials can be purchased as generalproducts, are preferably organic products, and are more preferablyproducts cultivated in Korea without using any agricultural chemical.Then, the selected crude materials are washed. Hereinafter, the efficacyof the crude drugs will be explained below.

The onion extract used in the oriental medicinal composition of thepresent invention serves as a source of trisulfide. The vitamins andinorganic calcium phosphate contained in the onion extract removeharmful substances in the blood and promote the absorption of vitamin B1, a hormone for hair formation. This activates metabolism, therebypreventing the formation of blood clots. In addition, the onion extractexerts synergistic effects with the black bean extract.

The black bean extract serves as a source of tocopherol, plant estrogen,and saponin. The black bean extract contains substances essential forhair growth, such as high-quality proteins, lipids, and vitamins B1 andB2. The black bean extract controls the metabolism of saccharides, whichare energy sources for hair, and inhibits aging to prevent hair lossinduced due to hereditary factors.

The oyster mushroom extract serves as a source of vitamin B2 andergosterin. Vitamin B2 group contained in the oyster mushroom extractpromotes the growth of hair and supplies substances necessary for themetabolism of saccharides. Saccharides are indispensable elements forthe activation of hair follicle cells. In addition, the oyster mushroomextract prevents skin inflammation (dermatitis), exhibits antitumoraleffects, and impedes the absorption of bad cholesterol so as to enhancethe immune systems, thereby strengthening hair roots.

The barley extract exhibits antiphlogistic effects, is indispensable forthe activation of hair follicle cells, and contains large amounts ofvitamin B group, which is a main ingredient for the energy metabolism ofcarbohydrates.

The quartzite stimulates hair roots to improve the circulation of bloodso that cells are sufficiently formed and revitalized. That is, thequartzite promotes the absorption of various crude drugs into the scalpby the action of light energy.

The ginkgo nut extract acts as a source of flavonoid, globulin andelgosterin, absorbs bad cholesterol to prevent the formation ofextravasated blood, and exerts synergistic effects with grains to makethe scalp clean.

The Fructus schizandrae extract acts to assist in the formation of aminoacid transaminases (e.g., GOT and GPT) to supply proteins necessary forthe revitalization of hair, thereby controlling secretion of hormonesthrough stimulation of brain waves.

The potato extract is a source of collagen and contains collageningredients that revitalize cells and enhance the elasticity of hairroots through balanced humors, i.e. controlled hormone secretion.

The Fructus lycii extract acts to produce immune enhancing substances,exhibits hematopoietic action, and promotes the formation of growthhormones. Accordingly, the Fructus lycii extract has been used as amedicinal material effective for the prevention of hair loss.

The extract from wild ginseng, known as an herb of eternal youth,promotes the formation of cells and improves the bloodstream tosufficiently supply nutrients to hair roots.

The taro extract acts as a source of glucuronic acid, brings down fever,relieves inflammation, and activates the functions of the kidney andliver to prevent aging.

The pine needle extract acts as a source of terpene, .alpha.-pinene andbeta.-pinene, and inhibits the formation of lipid peroxides fromlinoleic acid, palmitic acid and 5-oleic acid by the action of activeoxygen to prevent aging. In addition, the pine needle extract containsessential amino acids, which cannot be synthesized within the body, torevitalize elastic hairs.

The tangerine extract acts as a source of ascorbic acid, recoversfatigue, promotes metabolism, lowers the level of cholesterol, and iseffective for the prevention of arteriosclerosis.

The Fructus rubi extract is a source of polyphenols, tannin, saponin andanthocyanine, and stimulates the functions of the adrenal cortex toactivate growth functions, thus rendering hair black.

The jade acts to discharge of wastes from the body and improves thebloodstream.

The loess is mixed with grains to remove excessively secreted sebum,thereby making the scalp clean.

Ions (low current) of the gold (24K) bind to ions present in blood tostimulate the leucocytes, thereby promoting the circulation of blood(effects of negatively charged ions). In addition, a photocurrentgenerated from the gold induces resonance of moisture contained in thebody to promote the activation of the moisture so that the scalp ismaintained in a fresh state.

Thus, the action of the light energy released from the quartzitepromotes the absorption of trisulfide extracted from onion; vitamin C,vitamin B group, and vitamin E (tocopherol) extracted from black bean,oyster mushroom, and ginkgo nut; and polysaccharides (e.g., glucose,maltose and tannin) contained as nutrients in taro, potato and barleyinto the scalp. In addition, the quartzite promotes the bloodstream.Furthermore, terpene extracted from pine needles, ginkgo nut, Fructuslycii, Fructus schizandrae, and Fructus rubi functions to inhibit theformation of active oxygen, removes excessively secreted lipid peroxidesdue to its antibacterial activity, and inhibits the formation of lipidperoxides to assist the revitalization of hair.

Preferably, the oriental medicinal compositions are comprised of theplant extracts and mineral powders mixed with water. Alternatively,adjuvants normally used in the field of application considered, inparticular in the cosmetic field, such as surfactants, thickening orgelling agents, cosmetic agents, preservatives, alkalinizing oracidifying agents well known in the state of the art, may be added. Thenature and the quantity of these adjuvants would be well known topersons skilled in the art so as to obtain the form of presentationdesired for the composition. Notably, a person skilled in the art wouldchoose appropriate compounds/ingredients so that the advantageousproperties of the composition according to the invention are not, or notsubstantially, impaired by the addition.

The oriental medicinal compositions according to the invention may beprovided in the form of a lotion which is thickened to a greater orlesser degree, a gel, an emulsion or a cream, or in a liposomal form.They may be optionally used in pressurized form as an aerosol or as aspray from a pump dispenser. It is well known in the art the methodsthat can be applied in order to alter the oriental medicinal compositionso that it is in the above-mentioned forms. Again, a person skilled inthe art would choose additional ingredients that would not impair theadvantageous properties of the composition according to the invention.

The invention will now be further described by way of the followingnon-limiting examples which further illustrate the invention, and arenot intended, nor should they be interpreted to, limit the scope of theinvention.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Preparation of Oriental Medicinal Composition Example1-1

Black beans, tangerines, pine needles and quartzite were thoroughlywashed with water, and potatoes were cut to a predetermined size.

Then, 3 g of the black beans were added to 50 ml of purified waterheated at 120.degree. C. for 1 hours using an alcohol lamp, and filteredto obtain black beans extract. The filtrate, that is the extract, washeated at 55.degree. C. for 14 hours to obtain black beans concentrate.The concentrate was dried for 24 hours and pulverized to obtain a powderhaving a particle diameter not larger than 100 .mu.m. The pine needles,the tangerines and the potatoes were processed in the same manner as inthe processing of the black beans to obtain respective powders. Also,the quartzite was pulverized to obtain a powder having a particlediameter not larger than 100 .mu.m.

Subsequently, 3 g of the black bean powder, 3 g of the pine needlepowder, 3 g of the tangerine powder, and 3 g of the potato powder wereadded to 40 g of purified water, and mixed with 4 g of the quartzitepowder. The resulting mixture was heated at 110.degree. C. using analcohol lamp for 24 hours to prepare an oriental medicinal composition.

Example 1-2

Black beans, tangerines, pine needles, quartzite, ginkgo nuts, Fructusschizandrae, Fructus lycii, oyster mushrooms, and barley were thoroughlywashed. Onions and potatoes were cut to a predetermined size.

Predetermined amounts of the black beans, the onions, the oystermushrooms, the ginkgo nuts, the Fructus schizandrae, the pine needles,the tangerines, the potatoes, the Fructus lycii, and the barley wereprocessed in the same manner as in the processing of the black beansdescribed in Example 1-1 to obtain respective powders.

Subsequently, 4 g of the onion powder, 3 g of the black bean powder, 3 gof the oyster mushroom powder, 3.5 g of the ginkgo nut powder, 3.5 g ofthe Fructus schizandrae powder, 3 g of the pine needle powder, 3 g ofthe tangerine powder, 3 g of the potato powder, 4 g of the Fructus lyciipowder, and 3 g of the barley powder were added to 40 g of purifiedwater, and mixed with 4 g of the quartzite powder having a particlediameter not larger than 100 .mu.m. The resulting mixture was heated at110.degree. C. using an alcohol lamp for 24 hours to prepare an orientalmedicinal composition.

Example 1-3

Black beans, tangerines, pine needles, quartzite, ginkgo nuts, Fructusschizandrae, Fructus lycii, oyster mushrooms, barley, taro, Fructusrubi, jade, wild ginseng, and loess were thoroughly washed. Onions andpotatoes were cut to a predetermined size.

Predetermined amounts of the black beans, the onions, the oystermushrooms, the taro, the ginkgo nuts, the Fructus schizandrae, the pineneedles, the tangerines, the potatoes, the Fructus lycii, the barley,and Fructus rubi were processed in the same manner as in the processingof the black beans described in Example 1-1 to obtain respectivepowders. Also, the quartzite, the jade and the loess were processed inthe same manner as in the processing of the quartzite described inExample 1-1 to obtain respective powders.

Subsequently, 4 g of the onion powder, 3 g of the black bean powder, 3.5g of the oyster mushroom powder, 2.5 g of the taro powder, 3.5 g of theginkgo nut powder, 3.5 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 3 g of pineneedle powder, 3 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of the potato powder, 4g of the Fructus lycii powder, 4 g of the wild ginseng powder, 3 g ofthe barley powder, and 4 g of the Fructus rubi powder were added to 40 gof purified water, and mixed with 4 g of the loess powder, 4 g of thequartzite powder, and 4 g of the jade powder, all of which had aparticle diameter not larger than 100 .mu.m. The resulting mixture washeated at 110 C. using an alcohol lamp for 24 hours to prepare anoriental medicinal composition.

Example 1-4

Black beans, tangerines, pine needles, quartzite, ginkgo nuts, Fructusschizandrae, Fructus lycii, oyster mushrooms, barley, taro, Fructusrubi, a jade, wild ginseng, and loess were thoroughly washed with water,and onions and potatoes were cut to a predetermined size.

Then, 3 g of the black beans were added to 50 ml of purified water,heated at 120.degree. C. for 11 hours using an alcohol lamp, andfiltered to obtain black beans extract. The filtrate, that is theextract, was heated at 55.degree. C. for 14 hours to obtain black beansconcentrate. The concentrate was dried for 24 hours and pulverized toobtain a powder having a particle diameter not larger than 100 .mu.m.The onions, the oyster mushrooms, the taro, the ginkgo nuts, the Fructusschizandrae, the pine needles, the tangerines, the potatoes, the Fructuslycii, the wild ginseng, the barley, and Fructus rubi were processed inthe same manner as in the processing of the black beans to obtainrespective powders.

Also, the quartzite was pulverized to obtain a powder having a particlediameter not larger than 100 .mu.m. The jade, the loess, and gold (24K)were processed in the same manner as in the processing of the quartziteto obtain respective powders.

Subsequently, 4 g of the onion powder, 3 g of the black bean powder, 3.5g of the oyster mushroom powder, 2.5 g of the taro powder, 3.5 g of theginkgo nut powder, 3.5 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 3 g of thepine needle powder, 3 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of the potatopowder, 4 g of the Fructus lycii powder, 4 g of the wild ginseng powder,3 g of the barley powder, and 4 g of the Fructus rubi powder were addedto 40 g of purified water, and mixed with 4 g of the loess, 4 g of thequartzite, 4 g of jade, and 1.25 mg of gold (24K), all of which had aparticle diameter not larger than 100 .mu.m. The resulting mixture washeated at 110.degree. C. using an alcohol lamp for 24 hours to preparean oriental medicinal composition.

Example 2 Preparation of Oriental Medicinal Composition—AlternativeEmbodiment Example 2-1

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-1, except that 4 g of the black bean powder, 3 g of the pineneedle powder, 4 g of the tangerine powder, and 3 g of the potato powderwere mixed with 5 g of the quartzite powder.

Example 2-2

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-2, except that 5 g of the onion powder, 4 g of the black beanpowder, 3.5 g of the oyster mushroom powder, 3.5 g of the ginkgo nutpowder, 4 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 3 g of the pine needlepowder, 4 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of the potato powder, 5 g ofthe Fructus lycii powder, and 3 g of the barley powder were mixed with 5g of the quartzite powder.

Example 2-3

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-3, except that 5 g of the onion powder, 4 g of the black beanpowder, 3.5 g of the oyster mushroom powder, 3 g of the taro powder, 3.5g of the ginkgo nut powder, 4 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 3 gof the pine needle powder, 4 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of thepotato powder, 5 g of the Fructus lycii powder, 3 g of the wild ginsengpowder, 3 g of the barley powder, and 4 g of the Fructus rubi powderwere mixed with 3 g of the loess powder, 5 g of the quartzite powder,and 4 g of the jade powder.

Example 2-4

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-4, except that 5 g of the onion powder, 4 g of the black beanpowder, 3.5 g of the oyster mushroom powder, 3 g of the taro powder, 3.5g of the gingko nut powder, 4 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 3 gof the pine needle powder, 4 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of thepotato powder, 5 g of the Fructus lycii powder, 3 g of the wild ginsengpowder, 3 g of the barley powder, and 4 g of the Fructus rubi powderwere mixed with 3 g of the loess powder, 5 g of the quartzite powder, 4g of the jade powder, and 1.25 mg of the gold (24K) powder.

Example 3 Preparation of Oriental Medicinal Composition—AlternativeEmbodiment Example 3-1

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-1, except that 2 g of the black bean powder, 2 g of the pineneedle powder, 5 g of the tangerine powder, and 3 g of the potato powderwere mixed with 5 g of the quartzite powder.

Example 3-2

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-2, except that 3 g of the onion powder, 2 g of the black beanpowder, 3.5 g of the oyster mushroom powder, 3.5 g of the ginkgo nutpowder, 4 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 2 g of the pine needlepowder, 5 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of the potato powder, 5 g ofthe Fructus lycii powder, and 3 g of the barley powder were mixed with 5g of the quartzite powder.

Example 3-3

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-3, except that 3 g of the onion powder, 2 g of the black beanpowder, 3.5 g of the oyster mushroom powder, 3 g of the taro powder, 3.5g of the ginkgo nut powder, 4 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 2 gof the pine needle powder, 5 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of thepotato powder, 5 g of the Fructus lycii powder, 4 g of the wild ginsengpowder, 3 g of the barley powder, and 5 g of the Fructus rubi powderwere mixed with 4 g of the loess, 5 g of the quartzite, and 4 g of thejade.

Example 3-4

An oriental medicinal composition was prepared in the same manner as inExample 1-4, except that 3 g of the onion powder, 2 g of the black beanpowder, 3.5 g of the oyster mushroom powder, 3 g of the taro powder, 3.5g of the ginkgo nut powder, 4 g of the Fructus schizandrae powder, 2 gof the pine needle powder, 5 g of the tangerine powder, 3 g of thepotato powder, 5 g of the Fructus lycii powder, 4 g of the wild ginsengpowder, 3 g of the barley powder, and 5 g of the Fructus rubi powderwere mixed with 4 g of the loess, 5 g of the quartzite, 4 g of the jade,and 1.25 mg of gold (24K).

Example 4 Clinical Tests of the Oriental Medicinal Compositions

Clinical tests of each of the oriental medicinal compositions ofExamples 1, 2, and 3 were conducted on 100 men and women suffering fromalopecia, and the test results are shown in Table 1. The orientalmedicinal compositions were applied twice (each 5 ml) daily for sixmonths around hair roots of the scalp where hair loss occurred. Thestate of the scalp was then observed.

TABLE 1 Example 1-1 Example 1-2 Example 1-3 Example 1-4 Excellent 25 2832 35 Good 14 16 18 20 Decrease of 11 12 14 15 hair loss Ineffective 2519 11 5 Not available 25 25 25 25 Example 2-1 Example 2-2 Example 2-3Example 2-4 Excellent 13 14 16 18 Good 7 8 9 10 Decrease of 6 7 7 8 hairloss Ineffective 15 12 9 5 Not available 59 59 59 59 Example 3-1 Example3-2 Example 3-3 Example 3-4 Excellent 7 8 9 10 Good 4 4 5 5 Decrease of5 6 7 8 hair loss Ineffective 15 13 10 8 Not available 69 69 69 69

The oriental medicinal composition was considered to be “excellent” whenhair having the same thickness as the original hair of the users (i.e.newborn hair was stiff) was grown. When thin hair in the form of fluffwas grown, the oriental medicinal composition was judged to be ‘good’.If no newborn hair was grown and the number of hairs lost was decreased,the oriental medicinal composition was judged as “decrease of hairloss.” When there is no difference in the density before and after thetest, the oriental medicinal composition was regarded to be“ineffective.” If no clinical test result was obtained from the users,the oriental medicinal composition was judged to be “not available.” Ascan be seen from the data shown in Table 1, assuming that the orientalmedicinal compositions of Example 1-4 and Example 3-4 have an efficiencyof 100%, the oriental medicinal compositions of Example 1-1 and Example3-1 have an efficiency of about 70%, the oriental medicinal compositionsof Example 1-2 and Example 3-2 have an efficiency of about 80%, and theoriental medicinal compositions of Example 1-3 and Example 3-3 have anefficiency of about 90%.

Regarding the type of hair loss, the oriental medicinal composition ofExample 1-4 was applied to 90 males and females suffering from hair lossdue to hereditary factors, 70 males and females suffering from hair lossdue to alopecia areata and a variety of diseases, and 40 males andfemales at the initial stage of hair loss. The clinical test results areshown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Number of Type of hair loss Hair growth cycle (day) patientsHair loss due to hereditary 180 60 factors (90 patients) 140 20 120 6Not available 4 Hair loss due to alopecia 120 30 areata and a variety of100 20 diseases (70 patients) 80 10 Not available 10 Initial stage ofhair loss 60 15 (40 patients) 50 10 40 5 Not available 10As can be seen from the data shown in Table 2, about 85% of the patientsusing the oriental medicinal compositions experienced excellent hairgrowth effects. Although there was a difference in the time when hairbegan to grow between the individuals, the oriental medicinalcomposition was effective in all patients suffering from various typesof alopecia. Particularly, excellent hair growth effects were observedin the patients suffering from hair loss due to hereditary factors.

Based on these observations, the oriental medicinal compositions of thepresent invention promoted hair growth through the supply of optimalnutrients, the circulation of blood due to the action of light energy,the enzymatic metabolism of carbohydrates, the ability to form cells,and the ability to inhibit the formation of active oxygen, therebyresulting in prevention of hair loss and revitalization of hair.

As apparent from the foregoing, the oriental medicinal composition andthe method for preparing the composition according to the presentinvention prevents hair loss and exhibits superior hair restorationeffects.

Since the oriental medicinal composition of the present inventioncomprises natural foods as major raw materials, it has no toxicity andside effect to humans. That is, by the action of light energy releasedfrom quartzite, the oriental medicinal composition of the presentinvention promotes the absorption of polysaccharides as nutrients, whichactivate the division of cells, into hair follicles in the telogen phasefor a long period of time, and enhances the bloodstream to allow newbornhair to grow in the form of stiff hair. In addition, inhibition of theformation of active oxygen to remove excessively secreted lipidperoxides due to their antibacterial activity, and inhibition of theformation of lipid peroxides to allow hair to be effectively revitalizedboth occur due to the presence of trisulfide extracted from onion;vitamin C, vitamin B group, and vitamin E (tocopherol) extracted fromblack bean, oyster mushroom, and ginkgo nut; polysaccharides (e.g.,glucose, maltose and tannin) contained as nutrients in taro, potato, andbarley; and terpene extracted from pine needles, ginkgo nut, Fructuslycii, Fructus schizandrae, and Fructus rubi

Furthermore, the method for the preparation of the oriental medicinalcomposition according to the present invention comprises the steps ofpurifying crude materials, extracting the purified crude materials,concentrating the extracts, filtering the concentrates, drying thefiltrates, pulverizing to obtain powders on a nanometer scale, mixingthe powders, heating the mixture to dissolve the mixture, andreconcentrating the solution. Accordingly, since the crude drugs arehighly water-soluble without the addition of any additive, such as adispersion auxiliary, the oriental medicinal composition can beuniformly dispersed in a relatively simple manner without the formationof any precipitate.

The invention is further described by the following numbered paragraphs:

1. A natural oriental medicinal composition for the promotion of hairgrowth, wherein the composition is comprised of a quartzite powder,black bean extract, a tangerine extract, a potato extract, and a pineneedle extract.

2. The composition according to paragraph 1, wherein the compositioncomprises about 100 parts by weight of the quartzite, about 20 to about200 parts by weight of the black bean extract, about 20 to about 200parts by weight of the tangerine extract, about 20 to about 200 parts byweight of the potato extract, and about 20 to about 200 parts by weightof the pine needle extract.

3. The composition according to paragraph 1 or 2, further comprising anextract selected from the group consisting of an onion extract, a ginkgonut extract, a Fructus schizandrae extract, a Fructus lycii extract, anoyster mushroom extract, and a barley extract.

4. The composition according to paragraph 3, wherein the compositioncomprises about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the onion extract,about 30 to about 200 parts by weight of the ginkgo nut extract, about30 to about 200 parts by weight of the Fructus schizandrae extract,about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the Fructus lycii extract,about 30 to about 200 parts by weight of the oyster mushroom extract,and about 20 to about 200 parts by weight of the barley extract, basedon about 100 parts by weight of the quartzite.

5. The composition according to paragraphs 1-4, further comprising anextract selected from the group consisting of a taro extract, a Fructusrubi extract, a jade powder, a wild ginseng extract, and a loess powder.

6. The composition according to paragraph 5, wherein the compositioncomprises about 10 to about 150 parts by weight of the taro extract,about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the Fructus rubi extract, about50 to about 250 parts by weight of the jade powder, about 50 to about250 parts by weight of the wild ginseng extract and about 50 to about250 parts by weight of the loess powder, based on about 100 parts byweight of the quartzite.

7. The composition according to paragraphs 1-6, further comprising 1 to10 parts by weight of a gold powder, based on about 100 parts by weightof the quartzite.

8. A method for preparing an oriental medicinal composition, the methodcomprising the steps of: (i) preparing plant crude drugs from blackbeans, tangerines, potatoes and pine needles; (ii) preparing a mineralcrude drug from quartzite; (iii) mixing the plant crude drugs with themineral crude drug; and (iv) reconcentrating the mixture by heating.

9. The method according to paragraph 8, wherein the step of preparingthe plant crude drugs comprises the sub-steps of: (i) heating theselected plants at 90 to 130.degree. C. for 8 to 15 hours and filteringthe heated plants to obtain respective extracts from the plants; (ii)heating the extracts at 50 to 80.degree. C. for 12 to 48 hours to obtainrespective concentrates; and (iii) drying the concentrates andpulverizing to obtain respective powders.

10. The method according to paragraph 8 or 9, wherein thereconcentration step is carried out by mixing about 50 to about 250parts by weight of the mixture of the crude drugs with 100 parts byweight of water and heating the resulting mixture at 80 to 140.degree.C. for 12 to 48 hours.

11. The method according to any one of paragraphs 8-10, wherein theplant crude drugs further include crude drugs obtained from the groupconsisting of onions, ginkgo nuts, Fructus schizandrae, Fructus lycii,oyster mushrooms and barley.

12. The method according to paragraph 11, wherein the plant crude drugsfurther include crude drugs obtained from the group consisting of taro,Fructus rubi and wild ginseng; and the mineral crude drug furtherincludes crude drugs obtained from the group consisting of jade andloess.

13. The method according to paragraph 12, wherein the mineral crude drugfurther includes a crude drug obtained from gold.

14. A method for preparing an oriental medicinal (composition, themethod comprising the steps of: (i) preparing plant extracts from blackbeans, tangerines, potatoes and pine needles; (ii) preparing mineralpowder from quartzite; (iii) mixing the plant extracts with the mineralpowder; and (iv) reconcentrating the mixture by heating.

15. The method according to paragraph 14, wherein the step of preparingthe plant extracts comprises the sub-steps of: (i) heating the selectedplants at 90 to 130.degree. C. for 8 to 15 hours and filtering theheated plants to obtain respective extracts from the plants; (ii)heating the extracts at 50 to 80.degree. C. for 12 to 48 hours to obtainrespective concentrates; and (iii) drying the concentrates andpulverizing to obtain respective powders.

16. The method according to paragraph 14 or 15, wherein thereconcentration step is carried out by mixing about 50 to about 250parts by weight of the mixture of the plant extracts and mineral powderwith about 100 parts by weight of water and heating the resultingmixture at 80 to 140.degree. C. for 12 to 48 hours.

17. The method according to any one of paragraphs 14-16, wherein theplant extracts further include plant extracts obtained from the groupconsisting of onions, ginkgo nuts, Fructus schizandrae, Fructus lycii,oyster mushrooms and barley.

18. The method according to paragraph 17, wherein the plant extractsfurther include plant extracts obtained from the group consisting oftaro, Fructus rubi and wild ginseng; and the mineral powder furtherincludes mineral powder obtained from the group consisting of jade andloess.

19. The method according to paragraph 18, wherein the mineral powderfurther includes a powder obtained from gold.

Having thus described in detail preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, it is to be understood that the invention defined by theabove paragraphs is not to be limited to particular details set forth inthe above description as many apparent variations thereof are possiblewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

1. A method for preparing a medicinal composition, the method comprisingthe steps of: (i) preparing plant crude drugs from black beans,tangerines, potatoes and pine needles; (ii) preparing a mineral crudedrug from quartzite; (iii) mixing the plant crude drugs with the mineralcrude drug; and (iv) reconcentrating the mixture by heating, wherein thestep of preparing the plant crude drugs comprises the sub-steps of: (i)heating the selected plants at 90 to 130.degree. C. for 8 to 15 hoursand filtering the heated plants to obtain respective extracts from theplants; (ii) heating the extracts at 50 to 80.degree. C. for 12 to 48hours to obtain respective concentrates; and (iii) drying theconcentrates and pulverizing to obtain respective powders.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the reconcentration step is carried out bymixing about 50 to about 250 parts by weight of the mixture of the crudedrugs with about 100 parts by weight of water and heating the resultingmixture at 80 to 140.degree. C. for 12 to 48 hours.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the plant crude drugs further includecrude drugs obtained from the group consisting of onions, ginkgo nuts,Fructus schizandrae, Fructus lycii, oyster mushrooms and barley.
 4. Themethod according to claim 3, wherein the plant crude drugs furtherinclude crude drugs obtained from the group consisting of taro, Fructusrubi and wild ginseng; and the mineral crude drug further includes crudedrugs obtained from the group consisting of jade and loess.
 5. Themethod according to claim 4, wherein the mineral crude drug furtherincludes a crude drug obtained from gold.